Chapter 23

Suspicion

Surprised by her reaction, Gurney hesitated.

“Robby!” she cried. “Damn it, Robby told you, didn’t he? But if he told you, why are you asking if it means anything to me?”

“I’d like to hear about it from you.”

“This isn’t making any sense.”

“Two nights ago in your basement, I heard something.” Kim’s expression froze. “What?”

“A voice. A whisper, actually.”

The color drained from her skin. “What kind of whisper?”

“Not a very pleasant one.”

“Oh, my God!” She swallowed. “There was someone in the basement? Oh, my God! Was it a man or a woman?”

“Hard to tell. But a man, I think. It was dark. I couldn’t see.”

“Oh, my God! What did he say?”

“ ‘Let the devil sleep.’ ”

“Oh, my God!” Her frightened eyes seemed to be roving over some perilous terrain.

“What does that mean to you?”

“It’s … the end of a story my father told me when I was little. The most frightening story I ever heard.”

Gurney noticed that she was digging the fingernail of her middle finger into the cuticle of her thumb as she spoke, trying to gouge away bits of skin. “Sit down,” he said. “Relax. You’re going to be okay.”

“Relax?”

He smiled, spoke gently. “Can you tell us the story?”

She steadied herself by holding on to the back of the nearest chair at the table. Then she closed her eyes and took a series of deep breaths.